Nebulizer mask adaptor ring

ABSTRACT

A mask adaptor ring for connecting a medication inhaler having an extended cylindrical breathing tube to masks with attachment connections of child and adult size, the mask adaptor comprising a compound annular ring with a central opening, the central opening having an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end having an inside diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of a child mask attachment, the outside diameter of the outlet end having a diameter slightly smaller than inner diameter of the adult mask attachment, and the inlet end having an outside diameter slightly smaller than the outlet end opening of the extended breathing tube. A skirting is provided for size adaptability to outlet end openings of various cylindrical breathing tubes. The invention also has a center flange disposed between its inlet end and its outlet end, the flange having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the adult mask attachment and of the outlet end opening of the extended breathing tube. The inlet end and the outlet end of the mask adaptor ring are tapered so that they are at their smallest at the top and bottom of the mask adaptor ting. The taper is at an angle of 1°-4° and tapers outward from the top and bottom toward the center flange. The central opening at the outlet end is tapered inward at an angle of 1°-4° toward the center flange. The tapers allow for slight variations in mask attachment and extended cylindrical tube sizes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of medical inhalers, andspecifically to inhalers fitted with extended breathing tubes and facemasks for children and adults.

It has been found that an extension of the traditional inhaler willresult in a better misted inhalant and more effective treatment ofasthmatic attacks and other bronchial distress. Further, to ensureproper inhalation, especially in infants, breathing masks have beenfound to be more effective than traditional inhalers.

For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,412 (Nowacki et al.) discloses anextended cylinder attachment to a standard inhaler. U.S. Pat. No.4,809,692 (Nowacki et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,015 (Nowacki et al.)develop that concept further and introduce pediatric masks forattachment to extended breathing cylinders.

Typically, these breathing masks have different sizes of connectors tothe inhaler extension depending on the function of the mask, that iswhether the mask is for a child or an adult. Because of the differentsizes of connectors, a single standard inhaler extension may not beused. Different extensions are required for different masks. U.S. Pat.No. 5,012,803 (Foley et al.) discloses a modular medication inhaler thatmay be manufactured with several different outlet ends depending onwhich mask will be attached to the extension.

The present invention is a mask adaptor ring that allows connection ofthe extended tube outlet to adult- and child-sized masks. The inventorknows of no such device in the prior art.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a single maskadaptor ring that will allow connection of either a children's or anadult's mask to the extended cylindrical breathing tube.

It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a maskadaptor ring that may be connected to any size outlet in an extendedbreathing tube.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a mask adaptor ring for use with a modularmedication inhaler having an extended breathing tube and with maskshaving attachment connections with different sizes. The mask adaptorring is a compound annular ring with a central opening. It has inlet andoutlet ends. At its outlet end it has an outside diameter sized to fitinto the attachment for an adult size breathing mask. At its outlet endits inside diameter is sized so that the attachment for a child sizemask fits inside of it. This allows for multiple uses for the normallysingle use extended cylindrical breathing tube. The inlet end of themask adaptor ring is sized so that it will fit standard cylindricalbreathing tubes, but may be fitted with a skirting so that it may beattached to any size extended cylindrical breathing tube. The middlepart, or center flange, of the compound annular ring has a diameterlarger than the outer diameter of the adult breathing mask and of theoutlet end opening of the extended cylindrical breathing tube.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an extended inhaler tube and a maskconnected by the mask adaptor ring.

FIG. 2 is an outlet end view of a typical extended inhaler tube.

FIG. 3 is an inlet end view of a typical extended inhaler tube.

FIG. 4 is an exploded front view of the mask adaptor ring and a typicalextended inhaler tube and mask.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the mask adaptor ring and skirting as used ona typical extended inhaler tube and mask.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the connection of a typical mask and extendedinhaler tube with the mask adaptor ring.

FIG. 7 is front sectional view of the mask adaptor ring and skirting.

FIG. 8 is a front sectional view of the mask adaptor ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable thoseskilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodimentsherein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied inother specific structure. While the preferred embodiment has beendescribed, the details may be changed without departing from theinvention, which is defined by the claims.

Referring to FIG. 8, the mask adaptor ring 10 may be seen. The maskadaptor ring 10 is a compound annular ring having an inlet end 20, anoutlet end 30, a center flange 40 and a central opening 50. Outlet end30 is cylindrical in shape, having inside diameter 32 and outsidediameter 34. Central opening 50 of mask adaptor ring 10 is tapered atinside diameter 32 of the outlet end 30. Outside diameter 34 of outletend 30 is also tapered. Inside diameter 32 is at its widest at top 12,and is tapered inward at an angle of 1°-4° so that it is at itsnarrowest at center flange 40. Outside diameter 34 is at its narrowestat top 12, and is tapered outward at an angle of 1°-4° so that it is atits widest at center flange 40. As may be seen in FIGS. 4 and 8, andalso FIG. 5 inside diameter 32 is tapered so that it is slightly widerat top 12 than the outer diameter 84 of mask attachment 82 of the childsize mask but that at roughly the midway point 13, between top 12 andcenter flange 40, the inside diameter 32 narrows slightly so that, theoutside diameter 84 of the mask attachment 82 of child mask 80, shown inFIG. 5 will tightly engage the inside surface 14 of the adaptor ring 10.As may be seen in FIG. 6, outside diameter 34 is similarly tapered orsized so that it is slightly narrower at top 12 and wider at centerflange 40. Accordingly at the midway point 13 between top 12 and centerflange 40, outside diameter 34 is slightly wider than the inner diameter94 of mask attachment 92 for adult mask 90. Consequently, inner diameter94 of the adult mask 90 will engage outside surface 15 of outlet end 30and provide a tight, friction-sealed attachment to the adaptor ring 10.Thus, the adaptor ring 10 works for both child mask 80 and adult mask90.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, inlet 20 of mask adaptor ring 10 hasouter diameter 22 sized so that at midway point 23 outer diameter 22will fit the standard inner diameter 75 of outlet end 74 of extendedcylindrical tube 70. In this manner, it may be quickly and easily usedto attach the extended cylindrical tube 70 to children's mask 80 oradult's mask 90. Outer diameter 22 is at its narrowest at bottom 14, andis tapered at an angle of 1°-4° so that it is at its widest at centerflange 40.

Central opening 50, outer diameter 22, and outside diameter 34 aretapered to allow for variations in size of mask attachments 82 and 92,and outlet ends 74 of extended cylindrical tubes 70.

Taking into account variance in size of inner diameters 75 of outletends 74 of extended cylindrical tubes 70, the invention 10 also mayalternatively include a resilient skirt 60, sized at its inlet end 62 tobe slightly larger than outside diameter 76 of extended cylindrical tube70, with outlet end 64 having an inwardly directed flange 65 sized sothat outlet opening 66 is slightly larger than outside diameter 34 ofoutlet end 30 of mask adaptor ring 10. In this manner skirting 60 allowsconnection of mask adaptor ring 10 to an extended cylindrical tube 70even if inlet end 20 and tube outlet end 74 do not have substantiallythe same diameters.

The mask adaptor ring 10 is preferably made of plastic, but may be madeof any other suitable material. Preferably the inside diameter 32 andoutside diameter 34 of outlet end 30 are sized to fit standard childmasks 80 and adult masks 90, and outer diameter 20 is sized to fitstandard inner diameters 75 of extended cylindrical tubes, such as thosesold under the trademark AEROCHAMBER manufactured by Monaghan MedicalCorporation and disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,470,412, 4,809,692,4,832,015, and 5,012,803.

The method of using the mask adaptor ring 10 is as follows. The maskadaptor ring 10 is attached either by itself or with skirting 60 toextended cylindrical tube 70, after which children's mask 80 or adult'smask 90 is attached to mask adaptor ring 10. Following that, the mask isapplied to a child's or an adult's face for inhalation of medication.

The above described embodiments of this invention are merely descriptiveof its principles and are not to be limited. The scope of this inventioninstead shall be determined from the scope of the following claims,including their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of inhaling medication from a modularmedication inhaler through a mask the method comprising the steps ofproviding a mask adaptor ring comprising a compound annual ring having abottom with an inlet end, a top with an outlet end, and an openingextending from the inlet end to the outlet end; the outlet end having atapered outside diameter and a tapered inside diameter; the largestdiameter of the tapered inside diameter of the outlet end being slightlylarger than the outer diameter of the children size mask attachmentmeans; the smallest diameter of the tapered outside diameter of theoutlet end being slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the adultsize mask attachment means; the inlet end of the compound annular ringbeing sized to fit the outlet of the extended cylindrical breathing tubeof the modular medication inhaler,attaching the inlet end of the maskadaptor ring to the extended cylindrical breathing tube; attaching themask attachment means to the outlet end of the mask adaptor ring;placing the mask over the nose and mouth of a person receiving themedication; and discharging the medication through the cylindricalbreathing tube, the mask adaptor ring, and the mask.